


I got you

by reina_de_la_noche



Category: Bon Appétit Test Kitchen (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24321817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reina_de_la_noche/pseuds/reina_de_la_noche
Summary: Claire doesn't eat enough garlic.
Relationships: Brad Leone/Claire Saffitz
Kudos: 30





	I got you

**Author's Note:**

> RPF rules apply!

Dry coughs resonate through the kitchen as Claire hides her mouth at the crook of her elbow.  
Dan peeks at her from behind the camera, a pronounced crease between his brows.   
“Do you wanna take a break, Claire?”  
Her shoulders still shake violently as she holds up a finger trying to catch her breath. Rhoda strides over offering her a glass of water. She accepts it, nodding in gratitude. The water in the glass spills over the edges as another series of coughs immobilize her.   
“Damn it. Sorry.” She mutters embarrassed.  
“Let’s take five.” Dan decides and Claire turns on her heels, stumbling out of the test kitchen, arms still over her face in an attempt to shield everyone from her germs.   
Brad and Delany are standing by the entrance chatting when Claire pushes through the doors forcefully, hunched over and all but running to the restrooms.  
“Claire?” Brad’s voice echoes through the other wise empty hallway. She ignores them, gull rising in her stomach, her throat closing up. Bursting into the ladies room she barely makes it to the nearest sink before she spews the entirety of her lunch back out.  
“Fucking shit..”   
Chest heaving, she cleans herself as well as possible with the ice cold water and torn pieces of paper towels. She forces herself to take a deep breath as she finds her gaze in the blurred reflection of the mirror. She looks like absolute death. Really, she has no business being at work, especially being within such close proximity to food at all times. But there is no way she can get out of the shoot now. Besides they are almost done. She just needs to hold it in a bit longer. Closing her eyes she sees her cozy bed, waiting for her to fall into it and sleep for 2 days straight. Someone pounding at the door nearly stops her heart.  
“Claire? You o.k. in there?” Brad doesn’t manage to hide the worry in his voice.  
“Yeah.. fine..” She tries not to sound as sick as she feels. The look on his face, when she opens the door confirms that she failed miserably.  
“Jeez, Claire. You look like shit.”  
“Well, thanks. That’s very helpful.”  
“Sorry.. want me to call you a cab or something?”  
“What? Why would you do that?”   
“Have you seen yourself? You need to go home.”   
“It’s fine. We just need to finish the shoot..”  
“I’m sure the candies can wait a day or two, Claire.” She looks up at him exasperated. Why is he being so persistent? Is he trying to rid her of her last nerve?  
“Ugh, Brad. Leave me alone. I just wanna finish that fucking shoot.”  
She pushes past him and back into the kitchen.  
Delany steps up to him, offering a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
“You guys are killing me.” He eventually just says and leaves. Brad groans and follows Claire through the door. She is already talking to the camera again. Why is no one trying to stop her? Are they just waiting for her to collapse? She is clearly in no state to be shooting right now. She isn’t even in any state to be standing for that matter. Gaby catches his eye.  
“Why are they still rolling?” He asks her incredulously.  
Gaby shrugs, eyes round.  
“The filming schedule is crammed this week. If they don’t wrap up the day today, they won’t be able to reshoot it for a while. Maybe you don’t understand, cuz you’re never here anymore. But the filming schedules have been crazy lately. Everyone is getting their own show and demanding space and time. I can barely keep up with it…”  
Brad hums and folds his arms, entirely focused on Claire. Planning on escorting her to her apartment himself, the moment they would let her go. he imagines what ingredients would be best for the soup he’d make her later. Definitely a lot of garlic.   
Another attack of violent coughs shakes her small frame and that’s it. He can’t bear to just stand there and watch this, any longer. Smile as bright as ever he walks up to them, plucking the wooden spoon, Claire is clinging onto from her trembling hand.

“I got it from here, half-sour. You sit down, have some water, relax and let ole Brad finish for you.”  
Claire’s eyes dance between him and Dan.  
“Is it..? Can I..?”  
“Of course you can, Claire. You’ve worked hard today. You’re not feeling so golden o.k. Let a friend help you out. Isn’t this what the show is about? We are friends, we help each other.” He beams his most contagious smile at them and since Dan doesn’t stop him they just go with it. Claire falls onto the nearest chair sighing in relief.  
“So I’m stepping in for our favorite Claire. She’s not feeling her best today, so you know I’m helping her out. Couse I can, couse I’m a good friend, aren’t I, half-sour?”  
Claire giggles at him holding up her thumb.  
“You know, help out your friends, when they’re coughing up their lungs every now and then. Show some love and you will receive it back, you know. Like the butterfly effect or some shit.”  
Dan clears his throat.   
“Do you mean the law of attraction?”  
“Yeah, it’s what I said. Help your friends out. Finish their work for them. Or if they’re struggling at school, you know, during a class test, help them out..”  
“Brad.”  
“Or maybe don’t do that.. I clearly didn’t get any help in school.. and you know.. still kinda worked out so...” He smacks his hands together.  
“but you get the gist.. so what are we doing here?”  
Claire proceeds to talk him though the kneading, rolling and forming of the batter in which his large hands come in handy, like they do so often. She finds herself staring at his skilled fingers a bit longer than necessary. She blames it on the fever. 

In the end they probably take longer wrapping up with Brad than they would have with Claire. But she doesn’t care. Thankful to be able to sit and catch her breath. Gaby even makes her a tea with ginger and it brings a hint of color back to her cheeks. So basically Brad saved her ass. She would have to think of a good way to repay him later. 

“All right, that’s a wrap, people.” He yells and throws his towel onto the counter.  
Claire looks at him, tired eyes, but smiling.  
“Look at that, got you smiling again. Everyone’s happy.”  
“Thanks, Brad.”  
“Ah. Don’t mention it. It was fun. What do you say, we get you home, now?”   
“The best idea you’ve had all day.” She admits and stands, before another attack of coughs leave her breathless and he can’t help but reach out and rub her back soothingly.  
“Sorry, guys.” She mumbles as she recovers, straightening up and swaying. Since Brad’s hand is already on her back, he just leaves it there to stabilize her. Claire doesn’t seem to care, although he isn’t sure, she even noticed.   
“All right, everyone. Good work today. Claire, get some rest.” Dan twirls his finger in the air like he ‘s some sort of big deal director, but Brad isn’t paying attention to him anymore. Patiently he waits for Kevin to de-mic her and then ushers her out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. She doesn’t question that he has apparently decided to accompany her. She feels too shitty to care. Actually the support his arm offers around her waist feels like heaven and she allows herself to sack against him a little. He begins babbling on about the Allicin in garlic and how she is apparently missing out on it, about a garlic ginger paste he would make her that would boost her immune system like crazy. How his mom always made him drink green tea when he was sick and he hated it, but it helped. Which led him to another anecdote about how his sister used to torture him. Deep rumble if his voice becomes a calming noise she can hold onto, while she tries not to fall asleep on the spot.   
It could very well be a trick her fever plays on her when she lets her head fall against his steady shoulder and feels him squeeze her side affectionately, encasing her cold hand with his. He doesn’t let it go until the door to her flat falls into it’s lock behind them. In an attempt to maintain some dignity she refrains from face planting onto the sofa and rather just sinks onto it slowly, but allowing herself to let her head fall back and close her eyes.   
“Are you hungry? Let me make you a soup. Chicken noodle, will warm you up from the inside. You’ll be feeling like new in no time, sound good?”  
Claire nods and smiles at him wearily.  
“Thanks, Brad.”  
“You got It, Saffitz. You relax and let me take care of you.”

When the soup is happily simmering about on the stove, he returns to find Claire half lying half hanging off the armrest of the couch.  
“You okay there, Saffitz?” She jumps with the sudden break of silence and struggles to sit back up. He hurries to come to her aid and sit down next to her.  
“You don’t have to sit up for me.” It amazes him how she still appears to be fighting for composure.  
“I Know.” She murmurs, resting her red face in her palms for a second. He fights the urge to catch the hair that falls over her shoulder.  
“Thanks again for saving me from myself earlier.”   
“Does that mean you owe me one?”  
A timid smile flickers over her face and it makes him feel so much lighter.  
“I guess it does. Use it wisely.”  
He snickers, rubbing his hands together excitedly.  
“Oh, don’t you worry, Claire. I will save it for a rainy day.”  
He winks and if possible she turns even redder.  
A loud sizzle sound from the kitchen draws him back to his feet to keep the pot from boiling over.

The next time he goes to check on her again, she’s dead asleep. He sighs deeply as he pulls the blanket from her feet up to her shoulders. Straightening back up he observes her for a moment, looking so still, so peaceful. Poor, Claire. She really does work too much. Her body begins to shake like a leaf and tiny droplets of sweat appear on her forehead. His brows furrow. Turning he goes to find the bathroom, collecting a cloth from it, not without being hissed at from her cat, perched atop the towels. He believes it’s Felix. Returning with the wet piece of fabric he places it onto her head in an attempt to cool her down. Her skin is damp and hot to the touch. Wild strands of hair stick to her cheeks. This time he doesn’t resist and gently brushes the hair out of her face one by one. She doesn’t stir under his touch, but for some reason his heartbeat quickens in his chest. Unsure of what to do, he stays crouched down by her side for a while, gently pressing on the cooling fabric. Her face has an unnatural white tint to, grayish circles under her eyes extenuate her ghostly complexion. He sighs deeply and rises when the cat comes creeping toward him, meowing expectantly.  
“What’s up, bud?” He asks, voice low as to not wake Claire up. The cat sits and stares at him.  
“You hungry?” He gets an unnerved meow in response. Making as little noise as possible he goes to venture for cat food.   
Once Felix is taken care of he returns to the Sofa. She is tossing and turning, groaning and muttering inaudible things under her breath. Every now and then an episode of raspy coughs interrupt the incoherent flow of words. Her breaths are heavy and short. Brad stands over her, arms folded. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. He should probably leave, once the soup is done. Something inside him clenches uncomfortably at that thought. What if she suddenly stops breathing with all that coughing? That shit could happen, right? But what would she think of him if he just stayed uninvited?   
She would be fine, right? It’s not like she was dying or something.   
“Sour… Sour doughnuts. Brad.. I don’t even like Pancakes.” Claire rolls onto her side and the rest of her words get muffled by the blanket. Something warm and fuzzy settles around his heart at hearing her say his name in her sleep.  
He thinks about carrying her to her bed, but she looks comfortable enough on the sofa. Fitting perfectly onto it’s cushions. Being as tiny as she is. He imagines she falls asleep on there a lot. Maybe not even bothering to go to the bed if she is tired enough. Which, surely she is a lot. All that cookie weight on her shoulders. He exhales idly. He wishes he had the power to rid her of that pressure, but he isn’t even in a position to kiss her until she’d smile. Just to wipe her worries away for a moment. For now, all he can do is stay with her and make sure she doesn’t choke to death.

***  
Gentle pressure on her chest is what wakes her. Blinking rapidly to chase away the hazy view she finds it’s Felix, curled up on top of her. When she stirs he scurries off. Yawning she stretches her arms overhead. How the fuck did she end up here? She frowns, trying to recall. When she turns her head her blood seems to freeze in her veins. There is someone sleeping on her floor. She sits up, suddenly wide awake. Leaning forward a little she squints and a sigh of relief leaves her lips, when she recognizes Brad’s strong shoulders.  
“Brad?” He jolts up at that, whirling around and staring at her, eyes wide.  
“Oh.”  
“Morning?” She offers, slightly amused at his panicked expression and wild hair.  
“Morning, Claire.” He clears his throat loudly.  
“Brad? Did you sleep on the floor?” He feels his cheeks run hot with embarrassment.   
Nervously he begins to stammer.  
“Um..yeah. I’m sorry. I swear I’m not a creep.. You just looked real bad yesterday and I was worried for you, didn’t feel right to leave you alone like that.. people can choke…”  
“Brad. I know you’re not a creep.”  
“Oh.”  
“Why didn’t you take the bed?”  
He scoffs.  
“Please, Claire. That would have made me a creep.”   
There is a brief silence.  
“Thanks for staying.” She eventually whispers, suddenly feeling shy.  
“Anything for you, Claire.” His voice is rough now, eyes fixated on her intently.  
She clears her throat, shifting uncomfortably.  
“So, you feeling any better?”  
“Much. I think I just needed a good night’s sleep. Can’t remember the last time I slept this long.”  
“Yeah, you gotta take better care of yourself.” He stands clumsily and walks over, sinking onto the sofa next to her. He holds his flat hand up to her forehead.  
“Can I.. just wanna feel you.. see if your fever is gone.,” Me mutters. Unable to do anything else she just nods, swallowing thickly as he lies his hand onto her skin, holding her in place by resting his other hand on her nape. Their gazes meet and she doesn’t dare blink. He is so close, she can feel his hot breath on her skin, see the pulse in his neck beat a tad too quickly.   
“So?” She eventually manages to croak.  
“Hm?” He looks flustered.  
“Am I hot?”  
“Oh.” He lets her go as if she had burned him.  
“Sorry… you feel a little warm still, but nothing compared to yesterday.. yesterday I was real worried about you, half-sour.” His eyes glisten dangerously and she watches bewildered as a single tear pearls down his cheek. He runs his hand over his face hastily, wiping at the wetness.  
“Brad.” Her voice is hoarse and small.  
“Wha- why? Brad, I’m fine. Why are you crying?”  
“I’m not.”   
She doesn’t think, just wraps her arms around him and pulls him close. He hides his face at the crook of her neck, breathing raggedly. He reciprocates her embrace after a second or two, so tightly, it knocks the wind out of her lungs. But she doesn’t complain. Too good is the sensation of feeling his heartbeat against her chest. An involuntary moan slips her lips, when his thumbs draw gentle circles at her back. The motion blows a fuse in her brain and she presses a flat hand against his chest, so that she can look at him. His eyes are dry, but there is something else entirely shining in them now.   
“Claire.” He drags his knuckles over her cheek slowly as he hands drop onto his thighs. As if pulled by an invisible force she leans toward him. She doesn’t dare move as he leans closer ever so slightly. He keeps his eyes locked on hers and rests his hand on her knee. She feels like he electrocutes her with his touch. Her entire body tenses and her skin turns to searing embers. Her heart seems to want to shatter her ribs when his other hand cradles her jaw and pulls her forward. The tip of his nose lightly brushes her cheek before his lips are on hers. Everything goes blank when he kisses her. It’s gentle and soft and sweeter than her cherry pie. She can literally feel the stress seep out of her under his touch. When he pulls away to cup her cheeks and lean his forehead against hers for a while, she can breathe deeply again.


End file.
